Adjustable cutting-die.



Patented N z 5, 1918.`

A TTU/WHY 1. R. GAMMETER. ADJUSTABLE CUTTING DIE. PPLICATION FILED JULY 26. i911.

UNrrnnv strains PATENT orrion JOHN n. GAMMETER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To THE B. F. GOODRICH COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N..Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

u j ADJUSTABLE CUTTING-DIE.

of which the following is a specification.

i This inventionrelates to dies for cutting molding blanks :for boot and shoe Isoles out of raw rubber-and-iber compound or similar material, and` its primary object is to enable soles of dierent sizes, and especially of dii'erent widths, to be cut with .the same die. A secondary object is to embody the adjustable feature in a double or multiple `die so as,to increase the number of soles which can be Vcut ata single operation, and veconomize in the use of material.

Of the accompanyingv drawings,

Figure 1 is a reverse plan view of a two.- sole adjustable-die structure made according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is' a side elevation, partly in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. f

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the structure standing up on edge.

10 is a supporting plate, on the under side of which the die 1s mounted, and against which the movable platen of a press is adapted to descend in order to force the die through a slab of the rubber-and-iiber composition or other material supported upon the ixed platencr cutting blockof the press. The die consists of blades with sharpened lower edges conforming to the Outline of two shoe-soles laid side-by-sde with their toes pointing in lopposite directions, so that the forepart of one conforms to the shank and heel part of the other, there -being a iixed blade 11 common to the inner edge of each of thesoles, a short fixed blade 12 at each end thereof forming practically halt` of the rounded rear edge of the heel and provided with an ear or extension 13, and two adjustable blades 14 forming the remainder of the rear edges of the heels and the entire outer and front toe edge portions of each sole. The middle blade 11 is straddled by `a pair of iiXed cylindrical pins "15 on the tlop plate 10, and is formed with a notch 16 occupied by a third cylindrical `pin 17,

whereby the middle of Said blade l1 isvheld,

against longitudinal and lateral movement, but any slight bending movement which Specification of'Letters Patent.

may take place in the adjustment of the die is permitted. The die is suspended from fthe top plate 10 by a pair of horizontal Patented Nov. 5, 1918. Application :ned my as, 1917. serial No. 182,893.

tinuous cutting 'edge at the rear of the heel portion, and in said free end is screwed the .stem of a post 21 having a plate 22 secured thereto by a nut 23 and connected by a pull spring 24 with a fixed post 25 upon thel edge of the plate 10, whereby each adjustable blade is yieldingly drawn Vtoward the middle or 'fixed'blade 11, thus tending to narrow the width of each half of the die, the narrowing being greatest at the heel and shank portions. Each post 21 occupies a slot 26 ini the corresponding blade extension 13, and is surrounded by a heavy spring 27 interposed between said extension and the plate 22 for the purpose of springing the overlapping blade sections together and avoiding 'any appreciable gap. To increase .the width of the die, each blade-14 is provided near its free end with a nut 28 mounted upon a screw 29 whose inner end is fixed in a boss 30, said nut having a knurled head 31 at its outer end and a reduced neck 32 near its inner end occupying a notch or recess 33 in the upper edge of blade 14, there being a terminal flange 34 beyond this neck abutting against the inner face of the blade.

On screwing eithernut 28 outwardly, its

iiange 34. draws the free end of the corre- Y-sponding adjustable blade `14 outwardly against the tension of spring 24, thereby widening the die.

within each half of the die there is' located an ejector plate 35 suspended by guide pins 36 from the top plate 10 and yieldingly depressed by springs 37 surrounding said pins.

It is evident that the use of this adjustable die avoids the necessity for providin a different die for each width of soleblan t of a given length. Furthermore, although theY adjustable feature could be embodied in a single die, the use' of the double die increases production by' permitting two soles to be out at each operation of Said die, and

this feature incidentally economizes in the use of material because the tvvo halves posscss a common cutting .edge in their middle blade, 'aveiding the necessity tor skill on the part of the operator, such as would be required of him in conforming the inner outlines (if tivo adjacent soles out successively with a single die.

The above-described details of construction may be variously modified Without de-A partingfrom the scope of my invention.

claim:

A sole-sliaped die composed ot blade members relativelj7 adjustable to vary the space inclosed by the die, yielding means for moving said blade members together', and a positive adjusting device for separating said members.

2. A die comprising blade members delining the outline oi a sole and overlapping at the heel to provide a substantially continuous cutting` edge at different adjustments, a spring for contracting the Width of the die, and a screw device tor expanding the die.

ri die comprising a top plate, blades defining the outline of a sole and terminat ing at the heel in a blade member lined to the top plate and a laterally-adjustable blade member overlapping said fixed member ou the inside, a post on said adjustable member projecting outwardly past the fixed member7 a spring` attached to said post and top plate for contracting the die, and a screw device mounted 'on the top plate and operating on said adjustable member for expanding the die.

Je. A die comprising overlapping relative'y-adjustable blade members forminga ubstantiallv continuons sole-shaped cutting edge at different adjustments and slidable on each other longitudinally ot said cutting edge. d means acting transversely otx the i; .pped blade portions for yicldingly v-olding the saine iii contact.

5i die comprising` a top plate, blades dcing the outline oitl isole and overlapped at the heel end, one blade being; lined to the op plate at said end. andA thc other adjustable lo fairy the width ot' the die, a spring and a screw device :ating in opposite dirccl tionsI on said adjustable blade, respectively for contractingand cximndingA the. width ol the die. and means for yieldingly pressing the blade terminals together transversely at the heel end.

6. A die comprising a top plate, blades delining the outline oi' a sole und overlapped :incense direction.

i. A double die comprisingblades' dei lining .the outlines of tWo soles pointin in opposite directions, there being a mi die blade common to both soles, and overlapping ti the Width of the die, and adjusting means. tor positively actuating it in the opposite` blade terminals at4 the corresponding ends 4 of the respective soles.

8. A double die defining the outline of two solves pointing in opposite directions andliavingfa common middle blade, and an'outer blade on each side adjustable to vary the Width Ael* the corresponding die section.

9. A. double die for cutting two sole blanks at ,the same time, the respective sections defining soles which point in opposite directions,i and having a common middle blade, a short fixed branch blade at each end de# liningl substantially half of the heel portion of the corresponding die section, an outer blade on eachV side Whose termi-nal defines the other haltl of the heel portion and overlaps on the inner side of said lixed branch blade, and means engaging the heel portion ci each adjustable blade for moving the same laterally to vary the Width of the corresponding die section.-

l0. A double sole die comprising a top plate7 blades defining the outlines oit tWo soles pointing in `opposite directions and 4including a middle blade common to the two die sections, a branch heel blade at each end. and an outer adjustable blade on each Side overlapping said heel blade, means on said top plate confining the middle blade against lateral and longitudinal movement, means on said top plate engaging the toe ends of the outer blades ot' the respective sections 'for suspending the die on said top plate, and. adjusting means on said top plate engaging the respective adjustable blades near the heel ends thereof for varying the Widths of the two dic sections;

in ltestimony whereof I have hereunto set nyhhand this twenty fourth day of July l li.

JOHN R. GAMMETER. 

